How did you first find out about bariatric surgery and what were your initial impressions of it?

Through articles on web sites and in magazines. Then I had 2 girlfreinds who had the surgery and I became much more intereested. I was of course afaird of the complications that can occur and in some cases death. But I was dead. I was not living life I was only exsisting. It has been the best thing I ever did for myself and my family & friends.

Describe your experience with getting insurance approval for surgery. What advice, if any, do you have for other people in this stage?

You need a good family Dr. that is willing to write letters for you stating that he/she feels this is your best choice for a healthier life. You need to find a surgeon who is also willing to work with you and your insurance company. You need lots of documentation regarding your health and the problems you have to being so overweight. Such as not sleeping well, back pain, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and triglycerides, and so on. I put my family Dr. and my Surgeon working together with my insurance company I received my approval after they sent in many documents to back up the reason for my surgery I received an approval after it was sent to the nurse of appeals at my insurance. The best advice I can give you is have the suport and help from your family Dr., your Surgeon and his staff, your family and friends, and go through any test that the surgeon feels he needs for documentation. I also wrote a story about my life and how being so overweight had not provided me with a quilty lifestyle. I also let them know I was not having this surgery for vanity reasons I needed a new healthier lifestyle and this surgery would help me achieve this goal for life. My body needed the chemical change to help my mind and soul change alos.

What was your first visit with your surgeon like? How can people get the most out of this meeting?

My surgeon provided you with a binder full of inforamtion and a video to watch. His nurse also ask me questions form the binder to make sure I was serious and that I had looked at the infomation.This was very helpful. I had also reached the suregery on line. Ask many many questions and take notes. Write down the answers to the questions you want answered. Do this everytime you got the Dr. Never be scared or ashamed to ask any question they have herd it all and have the knowledge but they don't know you need it if you don't ask. You must find a surgeon and staff that you are comfortable with. Check out 2 or 3 before you make a choice. A support group is also great. Ask your surgeon if they have one if they don't get together with his staff and start one. Ours is called the Angels and it is a great help and comfort in the rough times.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I deceided that I was not living a quilty life and that I needed to change that before it was to late. Their is alot of cancer, sugar diaetis, heart trouble and other related illnesses in my family. My fathers side is all overweight and my mothers side is all of normal weight. I have 2 brothers and guess who took after dads side of the family. I was afaird I would not see my daughter grow up, go to colledge, get married, have a carrer, and children some day. And even if i did i would still be living life on the sidelines and not with them.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I felt it my case the best choice for a lifetime of matience and good health i needed the the Roux-en-Y g\gastric Bypass. i of course also disscussed all the options with my family Dr., Surgeon, family & friends before making the final choice.

How did your family and friends react to your decision? Would you have communicated anything differently if you could now? How supportive were they after your surgery?

My family was wooried they would loose me and had also herd of people dying from the surgery. I emember when I had started first working on my surgery I started with the Dr. my girlfriend had used. But as I came to discover they were only interested in in the money not the patient. They did not want to help you with your insuance they wanted you preapproved before you came in as i found out the hard way. I waited on a list for 6 months to get an appointment and the day finaly came. i was so happy and then the moring of my appointment they called and stated my appointment was canceled because they phoned the insurance company and they would not give approval without futhur information. I was crushed and took about 3 months to regroup. I finally connected with a man from my husband wotk who refered me to Dr. Smith. When i told my mother I had found another surgeon i was going to talk to she said she had to confess that she had been so afaird of loosing me that she had been praying the surgery would not take place and was happy when the office canceled my appointment. We talked about it and I assured her I had to do this and I had found the right Surgeon this time. It turned out that my mother knew Dr. Smith from the hospital she worked at. She liked him very much and felt much better about the whole thing. Then she started praying that everything would turn out great. One month latter on a saturday morning the approval letter came. It was meant to be that I found Dr. Smith and that mother had prayed for it not to happen the first time. It is ery important to have the support from your family Dr., your Surgeon and his/her staff, the support of your family and friends. It is very important to have someone stay with you the first week after surgery to support you, to nurse you, to make sure you get your meds, and liguids. Do not lay around get up work throught the discomfort and you will feel and heal so much faster.

How did your employer/supervisor react to your decision? What did you tell him/her? How long were you out of work?

I work at school as the secreatry so I was lucky I had my surgery over our fall break (1 week) plus I took a few extra days off. When I went back to work I worked only 4 hours for the first week back. Alot of thiem factor depends on what you do for a living. In my case I sit alot and also walk alot. My principal and everyone at work were and are very supportive. I talked with my coworkers for months before my surgery so they knew what to expect after I returned to work. Think about the best time for you be off work and work your sugery around those dates. If you don't feel worried about not being at work you will do much better and be back to work when you plan to.

What was your stay in the hospital like? How long where you there? What things are most important to bring?

I was admitted on 9-29-04 and released on 10-1-05. I talked the Dr. Into letting me go home on the evening of the second day. I was doing fine and thought I might be more comfortable at home. My hospital stay was very good. Everyone was very good to me. However, remember that it is up to you to know how to take care and control of yourself. When I received my first tray in the hospital it had a packet of surgar, salt, and a straw. None of which I was supposed to have. So I put them aside and let the nurse know when she came in that I was not to have these things. The next time I received my tray their they were again. I put them aside and realized at that moment that I was incharge of my life know. I had spent many months learning about the differant stages after surgery and I knew it was not just their job to make sure I was getting the proper diet and not receiving items I should not it was my job for the rest of my life after all I was not the normal patient they were used to serving. Watch your trays check you juice content and your ounce levels. Every Dr. is differant so you do what he/she has intructed you to do. I brought a very loose fitting nightgrown and my own panties to put on when I went home. This worked out well for me.

Did you have any complications from the surgery? If so, how did you deal with them?

I was very lucky I had no complications. I did everything the Dr. told me to and I got up every hour and walked around. I did not go through this to make things worse.

In the weeks after you got your surgery date, how did you feel? How did you cope with any anxiety you might have felt?

I was very happy I had been waiting for this for over a year. I did not get nervous until they took me into the operating room. I immediatley said I need to see Dr. Smith and Lisa. They both came right over and assured me everything was fine they took my hand and said see you in a few hours. They did not give me time to get freaked out. Then they placed the mask over my face and I woke up with my family watching over me.

Describe your first few weeks home from the hospital. What should people expect from this period?

My first week was the hardest you are the sorest durning this week and you have to make yourself take in your liquids. Family support during these weeks are very important. You need someone that keeps you on time with your liquids and meds and that leeps you moving. You are umcomfortable for the first couple of weeks but the more you more around and take in your liquids the better you feel. You feel better each day. Try not to take pain medication the best cure is up walking.

Please describe in detail what things you could and couldn't eat in the weeks and months following surgery. What foods have been off limits? Please explain how your dietary tolerance changed week-by-week, and then month-by-month since surgery.

The first month I was on a liquid diet only with water being the main liquid. I had 1/2 water and 1/2 apple juice, jello, water, chicken and beef broth, and my meds. The second month the Dr. told me to add plain mashed potatos that were very thin and also protein drinks or powder. I stayed on this for another month. It is not as hard as it sounds. Becuase you really have to force yourself to eat or drink anything the first few months. Slowly as the Dr. gave the okay I started trying anything that was thin like oatmeal, some babyfood, soft foods.Once I started to eat more solid food I started with things like crackers, soup. For me my taste for foods changed nothing seemed to taste the way it did before. I am know on a regular diet. I eat very little carbs, splenda instead of sugar, no fryed foods, very little read meat mainly because I have lost the taste for meat and fried greassy foods. I drink a protein drink everyday to make sure I get enough protein. This is very important go to the store buy every protein drink on the market bring them home and start tasting until you find the one w\you can drink or buy the protein powder and put it in everything you eat or drink. I had a hard time with this until I brushed my hair one day and found alot of hair in the hairbrush. Your hair will fall out if you do not get enough protein. So I said to myself I am not going to loose my hair so I went to the store. And it worked I drink Advant Edge Carb control from Kroger. They have lots of flavors. Find One!! You have to learn by trial and error what you can and can not eat. You Will Throw Up!! But you will learn quickly waht you can and can not tolerate. I am 6 mnths out you ate a piece of chicken the other day that did not agree with me and I put in a bad night and missed work the next day until the chiken finaly came up. This does not happen often and should not so let your Dr. know right away if you are throwing often. Once in a while is good for me becasue it reminds me that I must think about what I am eating at all times.

What was your actvity level in the days and weeks after surgery?

The first few weeks you have to take it easy. After the firat month I began to walk a little ach day. On my 3 month checkup my dr. gave me the okay to start an excersie program. It just so hapens that the place were our support group meets in called Silverlake it is a full facility. It is also for families so it is not like going to those gyms where everyone looks like they just steped out of a magazine. One of their trainers spoke to our group and I liked her very much. I made an appointment with her and found she had ben doing alot of reach on Bariatric patients and would love to work with me. She set me up on a exercise training program and I go 3 times per week. It has been great. She learns from me how to help other patients and I learn how to keep excersing ahd not get bored with it. Exercise is very important and it will make you feel great. Like the first time I ever walked on mile on the tread mill. Know i continue to work on a better time. Beofre i could not a block now I walk a fifteen minute mile.

What vitamins and/or dietary supplements have you taken since your surgery?

I take a Viatmine B12 sublingual tab 2 times per week(Get it at GNC Stores) Your dr. can also get a nasal form know, a chewable multi vitamine 2 times per day, a soft calcium chew 2 times per day (Vitactiv 500\+D+K - Get in any supermarket or pharmacy), Iron supplement was stated after my 6 month checkup. My dr. checks you r blood work at 6 months and aging at 12 to make sure everything is in line. My iron was a little low. The test are very important ask your Dr. if he/she cheks this on a regular basis. I also take a blood preassure pill that I hope to be off of in September. For the first six months I took an antacid. Every Dr. has their own idea of what you should and should not take you have to take what they tell you and discuss any others you think you should take or any changes you think should be made. Your vitamines are for life!! I

What side effects (nausea, vomiting, sleep disturbace, dumping, hair loss etc.) were worse for you? For how long after surgery did they persist? How did you cope with them?

I have had very few side effects. I have thrown up a few times. This is the worst but you learn from it quickly. You only do that once or twice and realize you don't want to do that again. My hair stated to fall out when I was not getting enough protein so I searched until I found a protein drink I liked and have had no problem since. I have one everyday. I have not gotten sick for a month or so and my hair is fine. If a problem starts you must work to correct it right away. You have the ability to help your body.

What was the worst part about the entire bariatric surgery process?

For me the first 3 months are the hardest and the worst. You are going through so many changes physically, meatlly, and emotionaly. Seek support from others like you, your family and friends, find a bariatric support group or online spport site. Like obesityhealthy.com. Just always keep in mind that each and everyday things get better and better. You feel better, you look better, and life is better.

What aftercare support group/program do you have? How helpful/important is this?

My Dr. has a support group called the Angels we meet once a month and it is wonderful. It is great because we have people in all stages of the surgery pre-op. post-op, maitence, skin removal. We have speakers come in and talk about everything from surgery to nutrition to vitamines to fitness, to products. Like when I had moved on to starting to eat again I would spend hours at the store reading every label and getting frustrated. At one meeting we had everyone bring a food they had discovred worked for them and this helped me so much itt know gave me some direction. We excahnge clothes, foods, vitamines, advice, recipes brand names,etc.with each other.It really does help.

What is your scar like? Is this what you expected?

My sacr is exactly as I expected it to be. The good news is that is does fade and mine is almost non detectable know. I did not have stiches mine was gluded together inside out and it was so much better than stiches. Of course i still have stples inside from the surgery. The are healed very quickley with proper treatment.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I am 6 months out and started to slow a bit. But I have cut my frame in half and lost 91 pounds so far. My stomach and breasts shank to half their previous size. I always thought I was big boned and big framed as it turns out I wasn't. I will have my extra skin removed next summer. My Dr. feels that I should get around 130-140 pounds which exceeds my expectations. My goal was to be 150-160 pounds so I will definatley reach my goal. Howevery if I never lost another pound at this point I could not be more pleased that is how much this has changed my life s far.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

My Friends and Family NO. But the public YES! People tend to show you more respect when you are thinner. But you have to keep in mind you do this for yourself not the general population.